SRIS: Sugar Rush International Series
by TheNewRepublic
Summary: The sixteen greatest go-kart racers compete in an international racing circuit in cities all over the world, competing for their spot in the Sugar Rush Championship Series, but racing is only one of the major factors that goes into the lives of the sweet sixteen. Controversy, conflict, and more all factor in for the most dramatic racing circuit on the planet.
1. Prologue

Thousands all across the world tried. Thousands wanted to be one of the sixteen that would take the world tour in hopes of becoming World Champion. Millions watch the races live, and hundreds of millions watch them on television. The greatest racing league ever sweeps the nation, people picking favorites, buying T-shirts, buying tickets, all wanting to be part of history. But what happens on the track is only half of the story.


	2. Chapter 1

"Your number one destination for all you favorite racers all the time, on and off the track. This is SRRN: Sugar Rush Racing Network. I'm Terry Keebler. Glad you could join me two days until the first race of the season, The Spring Classic at Sears Sunbelt Stadium in Miami, Florida. A three lap launch pad track with huge implications. 68 percent of racers who finished in the top five at Sunbelt went on to the Championship Series that same year. Plus, five-out-of-fifteen of the past Sugar Rush Champions won at Sunbelt their championship year. So, as you can see, this is a hugely important race. The winner here could be the car to beat for the rest of this season. So who had the best placing record at Sunbelt. Von Schweetz? Muttonfudge? Actually, Gloyd Orangeboar has the most consistent record at Sunbelt, but he's not the winningest racer in the track's history. That accolade belongs to the late great 'King Candy' William Turbo, who passed away earlier this year.

"And that brings up another subject. King's successor. The rookie Jacob 'Hardcore' McAfee. He blew away the competition at the tryouts, but how will he fair in his first race of his professional career? As we know, this track Sunbelt is known for launching careers. Adorabeezle Winterpop won her first and only Champion's Cup back in 2009. That was the same year she won at Sunbelt for the first time.

"The Spring Classic. The Sugar Rush International Series at Miami. Sears Sunbelt Stadium. This Friday at 8 eastern here on SRRN."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The SRIS jetliner flies through the air. It is a large super-jet custom built with sixteen private quarters for the racers and another larger area for the crew. The plane had left the Chicago airport about an hour ago, and was taking the racers to Miami.

Rancis Fluggerbutter knocks on the door to Taffyta Muttonfudge's room. Taffyta opened the door. "Hey."

"Hey." He said back. "Do you know our starting order for the race?"

Taffyta shook her head. "We won't find out until we get to the stadium." Taffyta and Rancis had always been good friends. They'd been part of the circuit since it started in 1997. Despite that, though, they some times got into arguments at races because of what happened during a race. Rancis had only won the Champions Cup once, as a matter of fact, he was the first in 1997. Ever since then, Taffyta had won six times, more than anyone else. She was considered the best of the sixteen. She wore her racer jacket, with patches commemorating her championships and her other accolades.

"Oh. Okay." Rancis said. "I was just hoping to do some strategy."

"Well….come on in. I can help ya out. We are teammates." Taffyta offered.

Rancis smiled halfheartedly. "Yeah. Thanks, Taff." He walked into Taffyta's room. There was a TV, a twin sized bed, a closet and a laptop sitting on a desk with a desk chair pulled under it.

Taffyta closed the door and sat on her bed as Rancis sat on the desk chair. They faced each other. "So, why do you wanna strategize?" Taffyta asked. "We've always done the whole bump draft thing when we can."

"Yeah, but I was thinking.…" Rancis hesitated. "Maybe we could sort of….race more….independently?"

Taffyta's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…." He sighed. He thought he'd be straight with Taffyta. "I think me being your teammate is holding me back."

"How….how is that?"

"Well, I'm always helping you get wins, giving you pushes and drafts. I think I just need to race on my own."

Taffyta looked down. "You're saying its because I'm always coming before you? You don't want to help me?"

"It's not that, it's just….you cast a big shadow, and I want to get out from under it."

Taffyta sighed. "Fine, I guess. I'm sorry."

"No, it's not you. I just-"

"No, I understand." Taffyta stood up. "I guess I'm too good for a teammate."

"Taffyta, I-"

"It's fine, Rancis." She put her arms in her jacket pockets. "I hope you do good tomorrow."

Rancis stood up. "You, too."

He put his hand out. Taffyta shook it, giving a halfhearted smile. "We're still friends though, right?" Rancis asked.

"Sure." Taffyta nodded. "No prob."

"Good." He made his way to the door. He opened it. "See ya."

Taffyta waved. "Bye."

Rancis left the room, closing the door behind him.

Taffyta sat back down on her bed and sighed. They'd been teammates for years. Taffyta knew she'd be fine on her own, but was afraid. Maybe she wouldn't.

And of course, the hidden camera in the corner of the room saw everything.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The hidden cameras had always been part of the following of the circuit. Terry Keebler and his crew knew the millions upon millions of fans that watched the races wanted to know more than who was winning or the season points. Fans wanted inside access. Thusly, cameras are put on the jetliner, everywhere backstage at raceways, and any hotel rooms the racers were staying in. Even though that was technically invasion of privacy, when the racers had sighed their contracts to race for the circuit, they didn't pay much mind to the part that said "privacy may not be upheld when on an establishment of SRIS purchase or possession," meaning if the racers were ever on the jetliner, a racetrack backstage, or in a hotel room, if they wouldn't be there if not for the SRIS allowing then to be there, they were under surveillance. The footage recorded would be put on the website , where paid members could view the footage unlimitedly, while some footage made it onto the show "Backstage Access," where the lives of the racers are viewed. Do the racers care about this? Not as much as they care about that next race on the schedule.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The jetliner landed at the Miami Airport. Plenty of press members and paparazzi were there to get pictures or report on the arrival of the racers. Each racer stepped onto the stairs leading off the plane's door. The first was Taffyta Muttonfudge, and of course, the camera flashers lit up. Taffyta gave a wave and smiled. She made her way down the steps and over to the racers' manager Dwayne Morgan, a tall dark man that would definitely pass as a pro basketball player, but his actual job was being responsible for everything the racers did, from press conferences to hotel reservations to public access events, he made it all happen. As the other racers exited the jetliner, Morgan handed schedules to each racer. First, they'd go to the hotel to get settled. Then they'd go to the season kickoff event at the stadium for autograph signings and a press conference. Then they would do qualifying races to decide the starting order for the race, and then another press conference. The racers probably wouldn't get back to the hotel until about midnight. Good thing tomorrow would be a free day for the racers to rest and prepare for the race the next day.

After everyone was off the plane, they were lead to a luxury bus that would take them to the hotel. They climbed on while still being photographed by the paparazzi. Taffyta took a set by a window near the front of the bus. She sighed. She'd been worrying about how she would do without a teammate, but tried her best to keep her confidence up. That's when Vanellope Von Schweetz sat down next to her. "Hey."

"Hi." Taffyta said blankly.

"You ready for today?" Vanellope asked.

"Yeah. I'm ready." She said with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Vanellope asked. She knew something was bugging her.

"Well, me and Rancis aren't teammates anymore, so I'm not sure how well I'll do."

"You're not teammates with Rancis anymore?" Vanellope asked. "Well don't worry. You'll be fine."

Taffyta sighed. "Yeah. I hope so."

The bus continued through the streets of Miami. Most of the racers were familiar of the city, but the rookie Jacob "Hardcore" Mcafee seemed amazing. He sat near the back of the bus, staring out the window. He was wearing a gray jacket, black jeans, and his hair was short and spiked up. He'd been racing in smaller organizations for years, and was excited to finally race for the International Series. Not only race, though, he was going to win. The first chance he'd get, he'd tell the media that he had plans to win at Sunbelt.

After about a twenty minute drive, the bus arrived at the hotel; The Master Suites. A barricade was set up, with Sugar Rush fans lining the outsides, waiting to see the racers.

Again, one by one, the racers stepped off the bus, and the fans cheered for them. Once Taffyta stepped off, though, the entire congregation erupted into cheers. They reached their hands out, and Taffyta gave each one a high-five. She then entered the hotel lobby.

Dwayne Morgan was there and handed her a room key. "From what I hear, you're not Rancis' teammate anymore."

"Nope." Taffyta shook her head, sighing. "I'm flying solo." She walked by him and went to an elevator. Her room key told her her room was on floor eight, the top floor. She entered the elevator and pushed the right button. She reached the top and walked down the hall until reaching her room, 821, at the very end. She swiped her card and enter. She looked around her room and smiled slightly. It was nice. A few plants, some paintings and a couch, along with a large flat screen TV. The was a door at the end of the room. She opened it, and there was her bed, a large kingsize bed with sandy colored covers. There was also her bathroom with a toilet, a shower, and a bathtub. All the amenities were amazing. She was really looking forward to relaxing here tomorrow, after the busy day today.

The was a knock on the door. Taffyta went to answer it. A bellhop with Taffyta's suitcase was there. "Your luggage, Miss Muttonfudge."

"Thank you." Taffyta said. She took her suitcase, and in return, she took out a twenty dollar bill from her jacket pocket and handed it to the bellhop.

"Oh. Well thank you. Good luck tomorrow." The man said as he gingerly took the bill. He walked off as Taffyta shut her door.

Taffyta pulled her daily schedule from her pocket and unfolded it. "Fan access event and autograph signing- leave at 5:30."

Taffyta glanced at the clock. It was already 5:18!

"Uh-oh." Taffyta mumbled, but quickly sat her suit case on the ground and unzipped it. She quickly took out a "6X Champion" T-shirt with her name on it and a pair of jeans. She quickly shed her jacket, shirt, skirt, leggings, and shoes. As she was about to pull on her jeans, she paused, getting a strange feeling, like she was being watched, but ignored it and pulled on her jeans. She got that strange feeling all the time. At first, it bothered her, but as the years went on, she just figured it was just the pressure of the high expectations she always had on her shoulders. After getting her shirt and jeans on, she pulled on her racing jacket and shoes, and filled her pockets with all the necessities: wallet, phone, and a few lollipops. She had a sort of addiction to candy, but it wasn't a bad one. Just three or four a day was all. She went to her door and grabbed the handle, but again paused because of that same feeling. She looked back inside, but noticed nothing unusual. She shook her head. "Focus." She whispered. She opened the door and left the room, knowing she couldn't possibly have been spied on.

But of course, she was.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

**A/N: thanks for reading the first chapter. I'd just like to tell you next chapter will include all the fan event, press conference, etc., and the chapter after that will have the day before and the day off the race, and then the next chapter will be the race itself. I promise it will be very exciting, and you'll never guess who wins and how they win. This is where the controversy begins.**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Rather long chapter here. Please read, though. It has a lot of build towards the race.

* * *

The fan access event was the biggest convention for any SRIS fan. It had dozens of booths with merchandise, games, and racers posted, ready to sign autographs.

Of course, the longest line there was the line to get an autograph from Taffyta Muttonfudge. Her hand was already sore from writing the same thing over and over. "Stay Sweet! Taffyta M." There were even a couple people with bags full of Taffyta Muttonfudge merchandise, wanting her to sign all of it.

"One signature per fan." Taffyta told them, pointing to the little sign sitting on her table, which said the same thing.

The two guys sighed. "Aw, come on! We're your biggest fans!" The taller one said.

Taffyta raised her eyebrows and offered a smirk. "I know a lot of people who'd beg to differ. I'll sign one thing for each of you."

They looked at each other, then began to dig through their bags of memorabilia. One give Taffyta an old trading card from 2000, her picture on it. The card was from the year of her first championship, so it was probably valuable, judging by its plastic protective cover.

The other gave a program from Sunbelt of 2003, Taffyta on the cover.

Taffyta put her John Hancock on each. She shook both of their hands. "Coming to the race?"

"Of course!" They said in unison. They walked away, admiring their newly signed merchandise.

Taffyta sighed and shook her head. She was glad to have so many friends, and there were definitely crazier fans that thankfully were probably not allowed admission to the event. Security was top notch for events like these. Not to mention that a lot of SRIS fans didn't like her, simply because some people are accustomed to rooting for the underdog and jeering the the alpha wolf. Some people, though, just didn't like her.

The rest of her time signing autographs was unspectacular to say the least. Say hi, sign her name, next. That was the basis. But finally, when the clock hit 9:00, it was time for the press conference.

After signing for the last few in line, she stood up and had two security guards escort her to the media area via golf kart, driving through a fenced off area. They soon arrived at the site of the press conference. A huge overhead tent with a long stage with eight seats underneath, a white background behind the seats with the SRIS logo, the Sears logo, and the Sunbelt logo. Chairs for about two-hundred press members faced the stage, and most were already filled.

The golf kart pulled around to the backstage area. She got off and entered the green room set up. Inside were the seven other racers to appear at the conference: Vanellope, Candlehead, Jubileena, Adorabeezle, Minty, Rancis, and Hardcore.

Almost immediately, Dwayne Morgan stepped in. "The conference is starting." He told them, and the racers followed him out. He took a seat in the front row as the racers walked onto the stage. Taffyta sat at the seat marked with her name, as did the others.

Morgan walked onto the stage. "Please raise your hand to ask a question. We will tried to answer everyone within our thirty minute time frame."

Most of the media members raised their hand. Morgan pointed out a woman sitting in the front row. "Question for Taffyta Muttonfudge. Does the fact that you no longer have a teammate at all change your mindset going into the race Friday?"

Taffyta sighed. "I can't let anything bother me. This race is too important to focus on anything else. I started on this circuit without a teammate. I'll just return to the way I raced then."

Another press member: "Rancis, why did you break ties with Taffyta?"

"Because I wanted to get out of her shadow." He explained. "I haven't won the Champions Cup in over fifteen years. I'm hoping this change will help."

Another reporter: "Jacob McAfee, rookies have never done well in their debut seasons. How do you plan on being different from that?"

Hardcore smiled slyly. "Very good question." He cleared his throat. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm no ordinary rookie. I've been racing in the US and Japan for years. I've even picked up a little Japanese. Regardless, don't expect mediocrity from me. I'm not here to get a start on my career as an SRIS racer, I'm here to make a name for myself. I'll prove myself in qualifying tonight, and I'll prove it Friday, because…." He paused, savoring the moment. "Because Sunbelt is my race to lose."

A few cameras flashed pictures of him, surprised by his boldness.

He smirked. "I'm going to win on Friday. I don't care if I'm not your favorite. I'm here to race, not sell T-shirts and spit catchphrases." That being an obvious shot at Taffyta for her classic "Stay Sweet." "I'm not an international sensation with millions of home country friends." A shot at Minty Zaki for her "International Sensation" hype from back in 2001 when she came in from Japan. "My point is this race will be my launching pad, and you can bet on that."

The other seven racers glanced at him with bitter looks. The nerve of this….this kid to come here and say he would win without a sliver of doubt.

The press conference continued, but the shockwaves of Hardcore's words still vibrated through the area. One thing was for certain, though; the hype for the race was substantially increased by the press conference.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Welcome to RaceCenter, I'm Terry Keebler along side fellow SRIS analysts Katie Brach and Will Mars coming to you live from our broadcast booth here at Sears Sunbelt Stadium, and as you can probably see and hear, qualification laps are going on right now behind us, and if you wish to watch the qualifications, go to now, but right now, we have a lot to talk about, first: Taffyta Muttonfudge and Rancis Fluggerbutter are no longer teammates. How will this effect the race on Friday?"

Will Mars answers. "Well, it will probably open up the field a bit more. Make it more interesting. I'm very intrigued to see if the split between Taffyta and Rancis effects the race for either racer."

Katie Brach chimes in. "We won't know if the split will benefit either one, but personally, I actually think it benefits Rancis, because now he no longer sits behind Taffyta. He's on his own path."

"Well, along with that," Terry Keebler says. "Another big developing story, Jacob 'Hardcore' McAfee promising victory at Sunbelt. What do you make of this, Will?"

"The nerve. The nerve of this kid to come in and promise to win! That's almost insulting to the veterans of this circuit. You don't win in the Sugar Rush International Series just by saying you will. You gotta back it up, and not just with big words. Regardless of how good he was in New Age Racing in Japan, which is a big circuit, it's nothing compared to the SRIS. He's gonna have to back up this hype with wins. Frankly though, I don't think he's gonna win, and when he doesn't, he'll be a complete laughingstock. For his sake, he better win, or his dreams of being a respected racer on this circuit are dashed."

"What do you think, Katie?" Keebler asked.

She gave a smirk. "I like him."

"No." Mars said.

"Come on! I love the fire and desire this kid is showing. He's on top of the world right now. He's on the headlines of . This is huge for him. I'm hoping he wins, because he was amazing in New Age in Japan, and I am so excited to see what he can do in this circuit."

"Spring Classic at Sunbelt. Friday, 8 Eastern. Don't miss it."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The qualifying races ended, and Taffyta qualified first, with Rancis second, Vanellope third, Candlehead forth, and Hardcore fifth.

The bus returned to the hotel, where still many people stood behind the railing. strangely, though, they paid no mind to the racers exiting the bus until Hardcore stepped off, and that's when they started to cheer. Hardcore was utterly surprised, looking at one of the fans' signs that said Hardcore=New Age. He gave a wave and a grin, then continued into the hotel.

He took the elevator up and stepped off on floor eight. He then walked down the hall towards his room until passing by Minty Zaki, who was about to close her door.

"Kon'nichiwa, misu· sensēshon." He greeted in Japanese as he walked by.

((A/N: Translation provided at the end of this section.))

"Dakara, ha~a~tsu nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu ka?" She responded, opening the door up a bit more. Minty and Hardcore got along pretty well back in Japan. They had been best friends, in fact. Minty just got her big break quicker than Hardcore. It was nice to see him, though.

"Akiraka ni." He said. "Watashi wa manabu tame ni ki ni odoroita?"

"Hai,-sōdesu." Minty smiled. "I know English, though. So no need to try to stretch your limited Japanese vocabulary to try and talk to me."

"I'll have you know, I'm fluent."

"Mm-hm." She nodded. "Quite the show you put on. Do you really think you'll win Friday?"

"I said it, didn't I?" He told her.

"Well, as I saw it, you were acting like a Bakageta chīsana kodomo. You have no business making promises like that."

"Be that as it may, I know my strengths. I've made extensive research on this track, and I know every turn and every straightaway. I'm confident in what I can do."

"Well, my rookie year, I didn't make all those egotistical comments. I kept my mouth shut."

"And where did that get you?"

"The 2002 Champions Cup that next season. Jacob, you can't just hop into the International Series and expect greatness to fall into your lap. You gotta work for it."

Hardcore sighed. "You may be right, but I've said what I've said, so I gotta back it up."

"Well, I don't what to see you embarrass yourself, so I'll tell you what. I'll go over a bit of strategy with you. Mentor you."

"Now, I don't exactly need a-"

"Come on. We were best friends. What do you say, Hādokoa-san?"

He sighed, but nodded. "Sure. Why not."

Minty stepped aside, letting Hardcore in. She closed the door, and thus, she was alone with Hardcore.…

….And the hidden cameras.

((A/N: Translation:

Kon'nichiwa, misu· sensēshon- Hello, Miss Sensation

Dakara, ha~a~tsu nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu ka?- So you can speak Japanese, huh?

Akiraka ni- obviously

Watashi wa manabu tame ni ki ni odoroita?- Surprised I bothered to learn?

Hai,-sōdesu.- Yes, I am.

Bakageta chīsana kodomo- Idiotic little child.

Hādokoa-san- Hardcore))

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Taffyta rubbed her forehead as she walked up to her door. She swiped her card and flopped onto the couch, groaning. She was utterly exhausted. She was satisfied with qualifying first, but that didn't change the fact that she was worried about the race.

Just then, there was a knock on her door. She sighed and stood to answer it. She looked through the peephole and saw Vanellope. She opened the door. "Hey."

"Hi, Taffyta. Can I come in?" Vanellope asked, looking up at her from her two inch height disadvantage.

"Uh, sure." Taffyta said, a bit troubled as to why Vanellope seemed so timid. Vanellope walked in and sat down on the couch. Taffyta closed the door and sat next to her.

"So….is there a problem?" Taffyta asked her.

"Well, it's just…." She sighed. "I qualified third today. The last time I qualified that low for Sunbelt was my rookie year. I'm starting to wonder….maybe I'm not going to be good enough."

"On Friday, you mean?" Taffyta asked.

"All season. I just hope this isn't a sign for things to come."

Taffyta gave her a pat on the shoulder. "It's just a little fluke. You've never needed to start in the top two. You've come from ten behind to win a race."

"I know, but what if….I just won't be able to do it?" Vanellope asked.

"Vanellope, why are you doubting yourself?"

"Same reason you are, I guess."

Taffyta was still for a moment. She thought about how she'd been worrying about being without a teammate for the first time in years. "Right." She said quietly.

"I guess I'm just worried about nothing." Vanellope got up. "It's just pre-season jitters, I'm sure." She walked towards the door. "Thanks, Taff."

"Wait, where are you going?" Taffyta asked.

Vanellope stopped just before she opened the door. "Well, I just…." Her voice trailed of. She started to fidget, like she usually did when she got nervous. Sometimes, though, she just got nervous for no reason.

Taffyta got up and walked over. "You alright?"

"Just….you know." She looked her in the eyes.

Taffyta understood. "Oh." It was Vanellope's ADHD acting up. She sometimes had trouble carrying on a conversation and felt like running away. Vanellope could control it most if the time, but not around Taffyta. They didn't talk about it much anymore, but Taffyta had bullied Vanellope when they were younger. Taffyta would make fun of Vanellope, call her a "glitch" whenever she started to fidget. The bullying went on until Taffyta was chosen to SRIS, and was separated from Vanellope for about three years. Then Vanellope was chosen for SRIS, and the moment she saw Taffyta for the first time in person, she looked like the same way when they were younger. Of course, Taffyta had matured by then, and she remembered all the bullying she directed towards Vanellope, she immediately felt horribly guilty. She'd been nothing but nice to Vanellope since, but she knew Vanellope would never completely be comfortable around her without getting scared.

Vanellope's ADHD was now a sensitive subject they only discussed with together, you know, when they could. But she did promise to Vanellope that she'd never, ever, EVER, call her "glitch" again, because it would immediately set Vanellope off, causing her to break down and run away, like when they were little.

Taffyta remembered all of this. Her heart ached looking at Vanellope's face, knowing what she'd done to her, but somehow still managing to be friends with her now.

"I just….gotta go. You understand, right?" Vanellope asked.

Taffyta pressed her lips together and let her emotions take over. Her arms wrapped around Vanellope's back as she pulled her into a hug. Vanellope was surprised, but wrapped her arms around Taffyta, still confused about what was causing the six-time champion to act like this.

Taffyta let go of Vanellope. She looked her in the eyes. "I promise to be a great friend. I don't want you to be afraid of me anymore. Okay?"

Vanellope pursed her lips and nodded. "Thank you, Taffy." She grabbed the door handle and opened it. "Good night."

As she exited, Taffyta tried to say something in return, but the door closed before she could speak. Taffyta sighed. "Stay sweet, Vanny."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"So you're saying you want to help me?" Hardcore asked Minty. They sat across from each other on Minty's bed. There was a diagram of the Sunbelt race track, the track itself could compare to how a shoestring looked when tangled up. It was by far one of the most complicated tracks on the circuit.

"Not directly. I don't want to be your teammate or anything." Minty told him.

"Wow. Thanks, friend." Hardcore said sarcastically.

"No. I mean I can kind if help open the field a bit, you know, use power ups to help you out." She pointed at a turn on the diagram, actually, the final turn before the lead straightaway, where the start-finish line was located. "But if you handle this turn right, you can get multiple passes which could make a huge difference in the outcome. And with a bit of assistance from me, you might have a chance to win."

Hardcore smiled lopsidedly. "Thinks Minty."

"Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try to win myself. If it comes down to me and you, I won't go easy on you." She smiled at him.

"Yeah, I know. You were never a conservative racer, huh?"

"Nope." She grinned and got off the bed. Hardcore followed her. "Well, I hope I was some help."

Hardcore followed her into the living area. "Definitely, thank you." Hardcore said, going over to the door.

"Regardless of what the others say," Minty told him, smiling slightly. "You're still my best friend. Glad to have you on the circuit."

"Thanks, MZ." He said, grabbing the door handle.

"You know what." Minty said. "I think we should do this more often. Come over tomorrow when you can. We can go do something. It is a free day."

Hardcore smiled. "Totally." He opened the door. "But nothing girly like the mall, 'kay. I have an image to keep."

Minty scoffed. "Oh, please. I don't do girly. Wouldn't want to mess with your image, huh?"

Hardcore laughed. "Yeah. But I'll be over, say, noon tomorrow. That sound good?"

Minty shrugged. "It's a date."

Hardcore froze for a moment. "Uh….no it isn't."

"Well, yeah!" Minty clarified. "It's an expression. A date with you? Heck no!"

"Well, thanks for making me feel better, again." He said with sarcasm once again.

"Not that you're not a nice guy." Minty said.

"Again. Bad guy image. It's kinda the point." He laughed. "But anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. G'night."

"Good night, Jacob." Minty said as Hardcore left the room. She then smiled and picked up her phone. Time to plan for tomorrow, starting with a limo rental.

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**A/N: if I get way of plot at any moment in my story, tell me in the reviews. I'm trying to set everything up for the big crash course when the race comes up. Next chapter will probably be short because it isn't too important plot wise. Thank you for those who have reviewed. I'm very glad that I'm making progress on fanfiction. Thanks for the support.**

**(I'm not sure where this Hardcore/Minty thing is going, so hang in there on that. :) And one more thing: the whole Japanese speaking thing - yes or no?)**

**Next chapter coming soon.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hardcore woke up the next morning. He rolled over with a groan and glanced at his clock. 10:54. He groaned again, rolling back over to go back to sleep, but then he remembered his rendezvous with Minty at 12. He thought if he went back to sleep, he'd wake up late and miss everything.

He sat up. Admittedly, he actually wasn't too tired, he just had a chronic problem with getting out of bed, sleepy or not. He looked around, a slight sliver of light squeezing in between the curtains. He got out of bed, wearing a pair of basketball shorts, and went over to open the curtains. The bright Miami sun hit his eyes, and he squinted. The Sugar Rush bus was parked outside. He sighed, trying to think of something to do. He went to his suitcase and put on a blue T-shirt that said "New Age Racing" in white Japanese scribe. He put shoes and socks on and left his room. He looked down the long empty hallway and walked towards the elevator. He pressed the button and stepped in, heading down to the first floor. He got off and wondered around a little, looking through the window at the empty swimming pool outside. He continued on until passing the dining room, which had breakfast set out. He shrugged and grabbed a plate. He got a couple pancakes, bacon, and a boiled egg. He sat down at a table. After a while eating, he saw Vanellope Von Schweetz approaching.

"Early riser?" Vanellope asked. She sat down across from him.

"If you call waking up  
At eleven early." Hardcore said, biting off a piece of bacon.

"You doing anything today?" Vanellope asked, trying to make conversation with the rookie.

"Don't know. I'm going to do something with Minty. We're friends from racing in Japan."

"Oh, that's right. You guys came from the same racing circuit." She smiled lopsidedly. "What are y'all gonna do?"

"She just said we could go do something. She didn't specify."

"Well, I can tell you now, it's gonna be something alright."

"What do you mean?" Hardcore asked.

"Whenever we have a free day in a city like this one, she gets someone or a few someones to go out and do something….well, celebrity-like, I guess."

"Celebrity?" Hardcore asked her. "Like limos and crap?"

"Probably. She's got plenty of money. You'll get a VIP experience."

Hardcore shrugged. "Hm. Works for me. Wouldn't hurt to do something around Miami." He took another bite if food. "You doing anything?"

"Eh, I dunno. I usually don't bother going anywhere. Besides, I've been to Miami plenty of times."

Hardcore nodded. He glanced at the clock on the wall. 11:24. "I should probably get ready to go."

"Well, okay then. Have fun. Oh, one more thing!" Vanellope stopped him just before he got up.

"What?"

"I like what you're doing with promising to win tomorrow." She grinned at him. "You got guts, and it takes guts to be a good racer."

"Thanks." Hardcore nodded. He stood up.

"Good luck tomorrow." Vanellope told him.

"You too." He said back, placing his tray in a bin and walked back to the elevator to head to Minty's room.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Minty was in her bathroom, brushing her hair just after getting out of the shower. She was wrapped in a towel while she brushed through her green hair. Once she was done, she took the towel off and started to get dressed. She wore a white T-shirt with imitation green paint stripes in a diagonal pattern. She then put on a pair of green mini shorts. She then put shoes on and put her bow in her hair. She grabbed her arm bag and packed her bikini, since she planned to go to the beach. She was just about ready; she just needed to wait for Hardcore.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Minty went over and answered it, and sure enough, it was Hardcore. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yep." Minty smiled at him as she left the room and closed the door behind her. They took the elevator down and walked out into the parking lot. And sitting right there in the driveway under the awning was a black Hummer limousine.

"Whoa." Hardcore said. He was expecting a limo, he'd just never ridden in one.

"Come on. Get in." Minty said, opening the back door. She got in as Hardcore followed. They sat down on the black leather.

"Ready, Miss Zaki?" The driver, a middle aged man with a proper voice asked.

"Yep." She told him.

He lifted the screen between the cab and the rest of the limo, and soon, they were moving.

Hardcore marveled at his surroundings. "A limo, huh, Minty?" He said, still amazed at his surroundings.

"Yeah. I though why not? We are international racing superstars. We should travel as so."

Hardcore chuckled as the limo got on the highway. "So where are we going?"

"The beach." She told him.

"The beach?" He asked. "But I didn't bring a swimsuit."

"Oh." Minty said. "I should have told you to bring one."

"Nah, it's alright. I didn't bring one anyway." He told her.

"Didn't bring a swimsuit? But this is Miami." Minty confided.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there's a shop there with swim trunks on sale. I'll just buy one, you know, as long as I don't get crowded by fans."

"Oh, you won't have to worry about that. I rented out a portion of the beach, so we have it all to ourselves."

"Seriously?" Hardcore asked. "How much did that cost you?"

"Eight-hundred bucks for one hour." She told him.

Hardcore chuckled. "Well, money was made to be spent, I guess." The beach was in sight. "The beach does sound fun, though."

"You know how to swim, right?"

"Of course." He said as the limo exited the highway to drive towards the beach.

Before long, the limo pulled into a parking lot in front of a large empty section of the beach fenced off with a metal chain. On the other side of the parking lot was a gift shop and dressing rooms.

Minty and Hardcore got out of the limo. "Okay. Let's go over there so I can change and you can actually buy a swimsuit."

"Okay." They made their way over. Once they got there, Minty entered the women's dressing room while Hardcore went into the gift shop.

It was rather large. Plenty of souvenirs and beach gear sat on tables while a bunch of clothing hung from the walls and racks. He went over to a couple racks with different types of swim trunks. After briefly searching, he choose a gray pair with black tattoo-like designs down the sides. He also grabbed a white beach shirt, some sunglasses and a pair of flip-flops. He thought he might as well complete the look. He went up to the cashier for check out.

"Find everything?" He asked.

"Yeah." Hardcore answered. "I didn't even know I was coming to the beach, so I didn't prepare for anything."

"Oh really." The cashier scanned everything. "$51.66. Also, you get this free bottle of sunblock and bag for the purchase of fifty dollars or more." He sat a six ounce bottle of sunscreen and a black gym bag on the desk.

"Oh. Thanks. Probably wouldn't want to forget sunscreen, huh?" Hardcore said, handing over a credit card.

"Yeah. Just ten minutes out there without it, and you'd already be burnt." He took the card, swiped it, then gave it back. "Have a good day."

"Thanks." Hardcore took his new stuff and left.

The cashier glanced at his screen as Hardcore left. He gasped when he read the name. Jacob McAfee. He just met a SRIS Racer, and he didn't even recognize him.

Hardcore made his way over to the men's dressing room, assuming Minty was still getting dressed herself. He went in, got dressed, put on sunscreen, and left. He tucked his regular clothes in his new bag. He put on his sunglasses and turned towards the beach.

That was when Minty came walking out of the dressing room. "You've gone native, Jacob." She laughed at his impeccably accurate rendition of a Florida beach goer.

Hardcore turned around to find Minty wearing a light green bikini, matching sandals, with her bag over her shoulder. He struggled to respond, a little overwhelmed.

Minty giggled. She walked by him. "Come on. Let's swim or something."

Hardcore cleared his mind and turned to follow. He grinned as he caught up to Minty. "Sure thing."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Back at the hotel, Taffyta sat in the dining room, eating breakfast, when Rancis sat down in front of her. "Hey."

"Hey." She said back.

"I didn't get the chance to say good job yesterday. So, good job on qualifying first." Rancis said, trying to strengthen the weak bond they had after breaking up as a team.

"Yeah. But everyone on the Internet and TV says Vanellope's the favorite to win." Taffyta said, taking a bite of a pancake.

"Oh, forget that." Rancis said, trying to be encouraging. "She's not better than you."

Taffyta sighed. Vanellope was her friend, but she didn't feel like protesting. "Sure."

"Really." Rancis told her. "You'll show her who the best is."

"Okay, Rancis. I get it." Taffyta told him sternly.

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Okay."

"Rancis, I'm kinda stressed, so do you mind if we kinda stay separated until after the race tomorrow?"

"Why?"

"Well, it would probably help me not think about you not being my teammate anymore. But after tomorrow, we can talk."

Rancis nodded. "I understand." He stood up. "See ya."

"See ya."

Rancis turned and walked away. Taffyta sighed and went back to eating.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hardcore and Minty's hour on the beach expired, and they decided to leave before being hounded by fans. They both left to change in the dressing rooms, and then got back into the limo.

"So now what?" Hardcore asked.

Minty shrugged. "Head back to the hotel, I guess. Get ready for tomorrow's race."

Hardcore nodded. "Works for me." He said as the limo left for the hotel.

Once they got back to the hotel, they went up to Minty's room. "Thanks for the trip to the beach, though." Hardcore told Minty. They sat on the couch.

"No problem. Wanted to do something with my friend." Minty told him, smiling.

"And I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me after I promised to win, huh?"

Minty shrugged. "Oh, well. Even if you do embarrass yourself tomorrow, you're still my friend."

"Thanks. Just incase I embarrass myself, huh?"

"Yep." She shook her head. After a few moments of silence, Minty spoke again. "I was impressed at your outfit earlier."

Hardcore chuckled. "I figured I'd complete the look. Impressed, though? I wouldn't say that."

"Yeah. Impressed isn't the word for it. Amused is more like it."

"Hm. You're probably right."

"You seemed impressed with my outfit." Minty commented, giggling.

Hardcore scratched his head, his cheeks shaded red a little. "Yeah." He said.

Minty snickered. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "But it was fun. If only the other racers knew there is a nice guy behind this bad guy image."

Hardcore chuckled. "I don't think we'll get to that point any time soon."

"Oh, well." There was another pause before Minty changed the subject again. "So you really are fluent in Japanese?"

"Well, sorta. I know all the basic phrases and things like that. I'm not completely fluent, though. Just enough to carry on a conversation."

"Mm." Minty nodded. She smiled. "So let's see if you can answer this question: Anata ga watashi ni kataomoi shite imasu ka?"

"Uh." He scratched his head. "Run that by me again."

Minty repeated the question.

"Okay. I guess I can't answer."

Minty giggled. She smiled widely. "Watashi wa anata ga sukidakara, zan'nenda."

Hardcore shook his head. "What was that?"

"Don't worry about it." She picked up the TV remote. "Wanna watch something?"

Hardcore shrugged. "Sure."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Welcome to Sugar Rush Now on SRRN. I'm Kent Reese, and joining me is executive analyst Will Mars."

"Pleasure to be here."

"Pleasure to have ya here. So let's get right to business. Sears Sunbelt is tomorrow. Who has the edge going into the race?"

"It's hard to tell, because we know that Taffyta and Rancis definitely don't have an edge after the breakup, even though they are the top two qualifiers. For Vanellope Von Schweetz, she's never started lower than second at Sunbelt, so maybe that's a sign of things to come. Honestly, no one has any sort of a clear edge going into tomorrow."

"Okay. Now, let's do some comparisons. Who has a better race tomorrow? Taffyta Muttonfudge or Rancis Fluggerbutter?"

"Ah, well, that's an interesting question, this being the first year for both of them to be without a teammate. Overall, though, I have to go with Taffyta. She's the best on the circuit, and she'll most likely have a great race."

"What are your predictions as far as top five finishers for tomorrow?"

"My top five. Well, it's kinda tough to rank them, especially since the season hasn't really started yet, but if I had to choose, I'd take Taffyta first, Vanellope Von Schweetz second, Rancis third, Minty Zaki fourth, Gloyd Orangeboar fifth."

"Orangeboar?"

"He's the most consistent out of the sixteen. I think he'll have a decent race."

"Where do you have 'Hardcore' Jacob McAfee ranked?"

Will shook his head. "I'll give the kid credit. He's good, but he's not good enough to win, or even make the top five, as I said. I expect him to finish at about tenth, eleventh maybe. It'll be awhile before he'll be a major player in the series."

"Where do you see this series going in the next few races?"

"Well, it'll all depend on tomorrow. With the Brinks Malibu Miles, the first road race of the season, coming up next week, and then the hop over to the New Age Special in Tokyo, no telling where this series is going, but I'm excited to find out."

"Thanks, Will. We're gonna take a commercial break. This is Sugar Rush Now on SRRN.

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The rest of the day went by slowly and anticlimactically. Hardcore had gone back to his hotel room as night was beginning to fall. He figured he'd go to bed early to be well rested for the race tomorrow. He changed to a pair of shorts and shut the curtains. He then climbed into bed and flipped the lamp off.

Just then, his phone made a dinging sound. He reached over to pick it up off the nightstand. It was a text from Minty. He unlocked his phone and looked at her text.

Minty: Whay ya doing?

Hardcore: I'm in bed.

Minty: Seriously? It's only nine!

Hardcore: I want to be rested for tomorrow.

Minty: Oh. Okay then. I don't wanna keep you up. :P

Hardcore: You're not bothering me.

Minty: You can go to sleep, though. I'll probably go to bed soon, too.

Hardcore: OK.

Minty: Unless you wanna cone over here. We can do whatever.

Hardcore: Like what? More TV?

Minty: IDK.

Hardcore: Maybe after the race tomorrow.

Minty: OK. Good night.

Hardcore: G'night.

Hardcore put his phone back down. He wasn't really sure why she wanted him to come over again. They'd spent a good majority of the day together. Not that hanging around with her wasn't fun. But who knows? Maybe she just wanted someone to hang out with. Hardcore didn't really mind, either. Minty would probably be his only friend for a long while.

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End file.
